1
as in to hover
to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air
a canoe floating down the river particles of dust floating in the air
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to wander
to move about from place to place aimlessly
lost touch with a childhood friend who spent much of his adult life floating from place to place
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in dock
a structure used by boats and ships for taking on or landing cargo and passengers
the crew put the cargo on the float before heading back down the river
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of float
Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 14 Feb. 2026
The Dragon capsule then floated free to begin a 2-day trip to the International Space Station.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 14 Feb. 2026
Charlotte Observer, 4 Feb. 2026
Stories involving a sitar, a surfboard, several root beer floats and a bride-to-be.
—Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for float
Verb
Trump recently floated a new June deadline for an agreement to be made to end the war.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 14 Feb. 2026
The Dragon capsule then floated free to begin a 2-day trip to the International Space Station.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 14 Feb. 2026
Noun
Kids from a local Baptist church threw sticks and rocks at Nocturna’s Krampus float, according to Moore.
—Charlotte Observer, 4 Feb. 2026
Stories involving a sitar, a surfboard, several root beer floats and a bride-to-be.
—Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for float
Recent Examples of Synonyms for float
Verb
-
Savannah is a city fixated on its ghosts, whether in the form of a hovering spirit or the weight of a rich, complicated history that seems to drape everything like Spanish moss.—
Adam Kuehl,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
The bulk of the movie is set in intake rooms where potential patients are evaluated by medical professionals; hovering over their questioning is the possibility of patients’ involuntary hospitalization, whether for observation, protection, or treatment.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
As the structures go up, penguins and seals wander by to observe the team’s progress.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
-
An old man wandering in the dark.—
Neil Senturia,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The suspect was found hiding in the water of a canal, beneath a dock, and taken into custody.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The path ends at a dock in the Lake Worth Lagoon, part of the Intracoastal Waterway, accessible only by boat.—
Lois K. Solomon,
Sun Sentinel,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The fleet comprises aging vessels and tankers owned by nontransparent entities with addresses in non-sanctioning countries, and sailing under flags from such countries.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
-
There’s a superb jazz festival in mid-June too; so while the town may be a favorite with yacht owners sailing here from Nice, Calvi itself remains humble, curious and just about the finest place in France to settle in for the day with a glass of local Muscat and a view of mountain and ocean.—
Rob Crossan,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Adding further to the overall tension is the looming presence of a murderous knight in full armor roaming the countryside.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Feb. 2026
-
With 22 miles of beaches, the nation’s largest urban park system, and endless trails along the Timucuan Preserve and Boneyard Beach, there’s always space to roam.—
Carrie Honaker,
Condé Nast Traveler,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Sprawling across less than 50 square miles on a peninsula, the city is packed with Victorian homes lining steep streets, buzzing with cable cars that zip between downtown and the wharf.—
Iona Brannon,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Feb. 2026
-
The wharves and warehouses along Pratt Street burned fiercely.—
Jacques Kelly,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
For every young punk whose pedigree makes chasing mainstream attention feel a little like, say, nakedly swimming after a dollar on a fishing hook, there was someone else who saw it as an opportunity to escape their hometown and never look back.—
Sam Sodomsky,
Pitchfork,
14 Feb. 2026
-
One swam under her boat and popped its head up right next to her.—
Rachel Roberts,
Idaho Statesman,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The former consultant and Harvard Business School graduate saw an industry where price and value were drifting apart, so set out to build a handbag brand rooted in accessibility.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Swirling dust, burning trees, thick smoke and drifting embers heighten the danger, while firsthand accounts layered emotional tension.—
Daron James,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Float.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/float. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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